sports

While MLB has already demonstrated a profound readiness to innovate in the face of COVID-19, it’s likely that the league and the broadcasters who cover it will continue to adapt to the ever-changing circumstances of the moment.

“5G removes all the limitations we had with the things you have to plug in. Less gear and no limitation on where you can be,” Sahara says. “As long as you're somewhere in the network, somewhere you can get a signal, you can do what you need to do. And that's the freedom that 5G will enable.”

Of the many live sports events that have leveraged remote production technology to return to the field in the wake of COVID-19, one of the earliest and most impressive was the 2020 NFL Draft, which was held over three days in late April. This month, we’ve seen this spirit once again as the 2020 MLB Draft airs between June 10th and June 11th, bringing baseball fans some of the excitement they’ve been deferred.

The industry is certain to go through even more dynamic transformations once live production resumes in full, but until then, the journey that live sports has embarked on and the creativity and tenacity the industry has demonstrated continues to captivate.

As live sports begin to resume and leagues and production teams work to navigate hurdles both small and large, that innovative spirit is more valuable than ever. It’s helped keep players, administrators, and broadcasters safe so that leagues and their partners can help bring the game back to the fans.

As other leagues have shown in the past few weeks, staying adaptable and alert as to conditions and challenges is the key to a stellar return to play. With the proper protocol and regulation, the PGA Tour could be yet another story of triumph — a real hole-in-one.

While better positioned than most sports for a return, the work that NASCAR and Fox have done to get back to racing is remarkable, and hopefully provides a roadmap for others who think this might be the moment for them to come back.

Based on the all-time record viewership and the rapturous reactions from those who watched the NFL draft, the final product was a massive (and safe) success!

Esports — with its democratic production models, vast and diverse offerings, and a passionate and vocal fanbase extremely tapped into social media — is an incredible opportunity for media organizations who recognize the need to be creative, flexible, and vigilant under COVID-19.

As both a social sensation and business, the rise of Esports offers a great deal to enterprises that are wise enough to engage. While previously considered a niche hobby, competitive gaming is swiftly becoming just as popular as traditional sports and pushing industry innovation in ways that no one might have previously predicted.